Detectives solve Puyallup River cold case murder from 1988

Pierce County detectives have solved a cold case murder – an 18-year-old girl whose body washed up on the banks of the Puyallup River 36 years ago.

Investigators used DNA technology to identify her suspected killer, a man who died from cancer in 2022.

Tracy Whitney, 18, was last seen at a Burger King in Federal Way on August 28, 1988.  Less than 24 hours later, she was discovered dead in the river.

In the weeks and years following her death, the investigation into how it happened and who was responsible went nowhere.

Detectives interviewed potential suspects and obtained DNA.  Some agreed to take polygraph tests.  Eventually each suspect was slowly and methodically eliminated as possible persons of interest.

“Despite numerous efforts and leads, the investigation stalled and over time, with the case having no forward movement, not being able to progress, it eventually grew cold,” Detective Sergeant Lindsay Kirkegaard said in a video released by the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department.

During the original investigation, in 2005, a DNA profile of the suspect was uploaded to the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS), a national database created and maintained by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Advances in DNA technology and hard work by a retired sheriff’s detective helped identify a suspect, now deceased, in the 1988 murder of 18-year-old Tracy Whitney. (Photos: Pierce County Sheriff’s Dept.)

Due to the technological limitations of that time period, the DNA submission did not result in the identification of a suspect.

In 2021, after the passage of more than three decades, now-retired Detective Sergeant Lynelle Anderson looked into the case as a possible candidate for a grant application through the Washington State Attorney General’s Office.

Anderson re-submitted Tracy’s swabs to take advantage of newer, more-advanced technology available at the Washington State Crime Lab.

The new DNA profile that was obtained was uploaded a second time into CODIS.

Unfortunately, there were still no matches.

Then in March of 2022, the retired detective tried another approach.

She sent the DNA extract to Parabon Labs, a company based in Reston, Virginia that provides DNA services for law enforcement organizations.

In August of 2022, results starting coming in that showed the DNA could be traced to family lines all the way back to the 18^th Century.

Investigators constructed a genetic family tree and the results came back to John Guillot Jr.

But John was no longer alive.  He had died from cancer in 2022, eight months before the DNA confirmation results arrived.

“He had also been cremated, so there was no DNA to compare to the suspect DNA profile,” Kirkegaard said in the video released by the sheriff’s office.

Anderson did not give up.

She reached out to the Washington State Patrol and found out they could confirm Guillot’s identity by using other family members’ DNA as a comparison.

Detectives found out John had a son, John Guillot III, who also had recently died.

With assistance from the medical examiner’s office, they obtained his DNA and then compared it to the male DNA obtained from Tracy’s body.

The results showed the killer’s DNA found on her body was not from John Guillot III, but that John Guillot III was a biological child of the murder suspect, John Guillot Jr.

“Throughout the investigation any evidence in the case, nothing suggested Tracy was familiar to John in any way,” Kirkegaard said.  “This led detectives to believe that this case was a stranger abduction, rape and murder.  Because of John’s death, no formal charges could be filed against him.  The case was then closed as ‘Death of the Offender.’”

Tracy’s younger sister and father are speaking out after learning after all these years who was responsible for her rape and murder.

They spoke about how much loved Tracy and what a tremendous loss her death has been.

“Tracy was a good big sister,” said Robin Whitney, Tracy’s sister.  “She has been really missed throughout my lifetime.  It has been really hard growing up without a sister.  But I’m just happy that we finally found who did this and she can rest peacefully.”

Her father says everyone who knew Tracy admired and respected her.

Tracy Whitney, pictured with her younger sister. (Photo: Pierce County Sheriff’s Dept.)

“I just want people to know that Tracy was a good kid,” said Tracy’s dad, Ron Whitney.  “She was a young lady that all the little kids looked up to in the neighborhood.  The best way I can describe her is what her best friend’s mother said, which was, ‘Tracy was sweet.  She was family.'”

Detective Kirkegaard emphasizes how important it is for investigations to continue in cold cases like Tracy’s.

“One of the hardest things for families in these types of cases is the unknowing, just all the unknown questions, the unsolved, no answers,” Kirkegaard said. “Even though there is no arrest that can be made in this case, it’s still very important that we do what we can to try to give the family some of those answers, a little bit of closure, and hopefully just help with some of the healing process.”

In the beginning, investigators had little to go on in their search for the killer.

What they knew for sure – is she disappeared on a warm August evening in 1988 and less than 24 hours later, was found dead in the Puyallup River.

And after all the hard work, the perseverance of cold case detectives and DNA technology has helped her family answer some of the many questions they’ve been asking for so long.

“Cold cases are extremely important to our community,” Kirkegaard said.  “I joined the Cold Case Unit so that I could help families get answers to the questions that just seem impossible, to hold people accountable when it’s needed, and to, most importantly, never forget these victims.”

“Although there was no arrest made in this particular case, I hope that the family can find some peace in knowing that Tracy’s case is finally solved.”

Thomas Brock is a weekend anchor, editor and reporter for KIRO Newsradio.